


The One to Call

by embroiderama



Category: White Collar RPF
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-11
Updated: 2014-02-11
Packaged: 2018-01-12 01:12:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,975
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1180141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/embroiderama/pseuds/embroiderama
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When it's Matt's turn to get the bug that's been going around the set, Tim goes over to help him out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The One to Call

**Author's Note:**

  * For [angel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/angel/gifts).



> This was written for [](http://angelita26.livejournal.com/profile)[**angelita26**](http://angelita26.livejournal.com/) for [](http://fandom-stocking.dreamwidth.org/profile)[](http://fandom-stocking.dreamwidth.org/)**fandom_stocking**.

The sound of his phone ringing startled Tim out of the light doze he'd dropped into while reading scripts in bed. The number was unfamiliar, but it had an LA area code, and it was still early enough on the west coast that there wasn't any reason to assume there was some kind of emergency. Still, Tim's heart raced as he swiped the screen to accept the call before it could go to voicemail. "Hello?"

"Tim? This is Simon."

"Oh, hey." Tim had talked to Matt's partner a number of times, but never on the phone--or never on his own phone, to be accurate. It was strange for Simon to call him, but Matt's birthday wasn't far off so maybe Simon was planning something that required Tim's involvement. Simon sounded stressed but as far as Tim could tell that was SOP. "What's going on?"

Simon sighed. "I know it's late, but is there any chance you could go over to Matt's place? Or are you in the middle of something?"

Tim sat up straighter and swung his legs over the side of the bed. "I'm just reading shitty scripts. What's wrong?"

"It's not an emergency, but Matt's feeling pretty bad. It's a stomach bug or something, and he claims it's not bad enough for medical attention but he sounds like hell. He flat-out refused to call his PA or to let me call her, something about her plans for the evening. He didn't want to bother you either but he didn't say no when I told him I was going to call you."

"Damn." Tim stood up and grabbed his jeans, putting them on as he talked. "Okay, yeah, I just need to get dressed and I'll head over there."

Simon let out a heavy breath, sounding relieved. "Thank you. I just--it's making me nervous thinking about him being alone as unsteady as he sounds. And knowing him he'd spend the night on the bathroom floor then show up at the studio in the morning."

"Sounds about right. It might take me half an hour to get up there, but I'll be on my way in a minute. Am I going to be able to get into his building?"

"I'll call and let security know you're coming. They'll take you up and let you into the apartment."

"Okay, that works. I'll call you after I get there."

"Please do. And Tim? Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me but--" Tim shoved his feet into his shoes. "You're welcome."

~~~

Tim thought about calling Matt while he was in the cab on the way, but he was sure that Simon would have let Matt know Tim was on the way, and if he was sick enough to make Simon worried then the last thing Matt was going to want to do was spend a bunch of time on the phone. The ride was relatively smooth with no major traffic snarls, and less than half an hour later Tim approached the security desk in the lobby of Matt's building.

"Mr. DeKay?" A youngish woman in a security guard uniform stood up at Tim's nod and walked around the desk to meet him. "I'll take you up."

She didn't make conversation or ask any questions, just escorted Tim into the elevator and then down the short hallway to Matt's apartment, where she unlocked the door then smiled politely and walked away. Even though the door was already slightly open, Tim knocked to announce his arrival. "Matt? You okay?"

The apartment was very nice but also small enough that Tim could see the whole living area as soon as he came inside, and the bedroom door was open, leaving the rumpled, empty bed visible. "Matt?"

Finally Matt replied, "Yeah, m'okay," his voice rougher than usual and slower as well, tinged with more than a hint of Texas. Tim closed the front door behind him and and walked back to find Matt sitting on the floor in the bathroom, leaning into the corner made by the tub and the wall. His face was a sickly washed-out pale and the t-shirt he had on over dinosaur-print pajama pants looked rumpled and sweaty.

"Yeah, you definitely look okay. Let's go out on the town, huh?"

"Ugh." Matt groaned and leaned his head against the wall. "I'm sorry about Simon calling you."

"I'm not." Tim sat down on the edge of the tub and reached out to push Matt's bangs out of his eyes. His skin felt cool and clammy, and Tim tried to remember if Matt had looked sick when they finished their night to early morning filming. "Did you feel bad this morning?"

"Mmmm, a little bit." Matt shrugged the shoulder that wasn't leaned against the wall. "Didn't seem like a big deal. I mean, it's not a big deal."

"Maybe, maybe not, but I think you ought to get up off of that floor. Do you think you're going to get sick again?"

Matt turned down one corner of his mouth. "Maybe, maybe not," he echoed back.

"All right. I'll be right back." Tim patted Matt on the shoulder then went to the kitchen to find a large bowl. That in hand, he went back into the bathroom and crouched down in front of Matt. "I'm going to help you up, okay? Let me know if you feel worse."

Matt gave a slight nod, so Tim leaned in to tuck his shoulder under Matt's and wrap his arm around Matt's back then stood them both up as slowly and smoothly as he could. Matt moaned quietly and put a hand on his head as he leaned more heavily against Tim.

"Headache?"

Matt nodded and dropped his head to rest on Tim's shoulder. "Yeah," he said just above a whisper.

"You're probably dehydrated, but the first step is bed."

After a couple of steadying breaths, Matt stood up straighter and Tim led him out of the bathroom and over to the bedroom a few yards away. Matt put a hand on his stomach as he sat down on the side of the bed, and Tim put the bowl in his hands but after an aborted heave he sighed and laid down with his feet still on the floor. After a moment of standing there looking at the pathetic sight of his friend, Tim pulled Matt's legs up onto the bed and folded the covers over him then sat down near the foot of the bed with his hand on Matt's blanket-covered ankle. "Hey, can you open your eyes for a minute?"

Matt complied but didn't look happy about it. "What?" he grumbled.

"I know you feel like hell, but how much like hell? Does anything hurt worse than it should from throwing up?"

"No, just sore, achy, bleh."

"Okay. You'll tell me if you feel worse?"

Matt nodded as his eyes closed again, and Tim squeezed his ankle. "I'll be out in your living room. Shout if you need me."

He mumbled something that sounded vaguely like, "Tell Simon I'm okay."

"Right. Sure." Tim walked out and closed Matt's bedroom door most of the way then called Simon.

"What's the situation?"

"Well, he told me to tell you he's okay. He's not, really, but I think he will be."

Simon sighed. "I wish I could be there."

"I know, but the bug that's been going around seems to pass pretty quickly. By the time you could get here, he should be fine."

"You don't think he needs to go get checked out?"

"Not right now. I'm going to get some stuff delivered, and I'll stay here tonight. If he isn't better tomorrow I'll make sure he gets to a doctor."

"You'll stay?" Simon sounded both surprised and grateful.

"Hey, he would do the same for me, and if this thing keeps going around, he might have to. And if he can't then Willie will probably get stuck with it. We're family when we're out here, you know?"

"I do now. Call me if anything changes?"

"I will. Try to take it easy, okay?"

"Yeah, okay. Thank you. Seriously."

"You're welcome."

As soon as Simon hung up, Tim checked Matt's cabinets then looked up the closest all night deli that offered delivery then called to place an order. He promised a good tip for quick delivery, and he didn't have time to do more than tidy up the bathroom before his supplies arrived. He was feeling guilty about having to wake up Matt when he was resting but just as Tim was mixing up a glass of water and Gatorade he heard a round of gagging coughs come from the bedroom. _Damn_. He grabbed another large bowl and took it into the bedroom with the glass and a handful of crackers in a small bowl.

Tim found Matt looking utterly miserable, curled up above the bowl that had been on his bedside table with his back arching as he tried to breathe and throw up nothing at the same time. "Hey, hey," Tim said quietly. He sat down on the bed beside Matt and rubbed his back as he tried to pull himself together. "I brought you something to drink. You need to sit up and try to take a few sips."

"Nooo," Matt moaned. He sat up but just leaned back against the wall and his pillows with a hand pressed to his forehead.

Tim took the nearly-empty bowl away from him then put a hand on the back of Matt's neck and rubbed lightly at the tendons there. "Right now, being dehydrated is making you feel worse than the bug. For now, just take a few sips. Or do you want to end up in the ER?"

"Ugh, fuck no. Okay." Matt kept his eyes closed, but he sat up straighter and when Tim held the glass close enough to his face that the straw touched his lips Matt sighed and pulled the straw into his mouth. Tim kept one hand on the glass, his other hand still rubbing gently at the back of Matt's neck, and he watched as Matt took in a sip of the pale orange liquid, held it in his mouth for a moment, then swallowed. He took a couple of shaky breaths in and out through his nose then repeated the process two more times before Tim put the glass down on the bedside table.

"Just concentrate on keeping that down for a few minutes." Tim looked at Matt, at the lines on his face that made him look ten years older than he usually did and the exhausted slump to his shoulders, and he knew that his next task was going to be breaking the news that they were going to have to work around Matt's absence on set the next day, for the morning at the very least. Matt was very still, clearly following Tim's instructions to focus on keeping the liquids inside him. "Do you want me to leave you alone?"

"No. Please." Matt leaned back into Tim's hand, and Tim took that as his cue to move closer and pull Matt in to lean against his side.

"How's that feeling?" Tim asked after another few quiet minutes.

"Um, okay."

"Good." He got Matt to take another few sips and eat a cracker then got him settled back under the covers. Back out in the living room, Tim sent texts to the _White Collar_ powers that be and to Simon then dimmed the lights and made himself as comfortable as he could get on Matt's sofa. He had a feeling that Matt would sleep most of the night now, exhausted by the long day of sickness now that the worst of the bug had passed, but he would be around if his friend needed him.

He would always be around.


End file.
